Danny Deever

As Jon points out, “It’s unusual to have a piece about the horrors of capital punishment that isn’t in fact anti capital punishment. A subtle and troubling poem brought to life by Bellamy’s brilliant tune.” Although the soldiers clearly take no pleasure in the coming events, this is what became known as a Barrack-Room Ballad. Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem in 1890, it may, however, have been started before then. Generally ascribed as being set in India its detail does somewhat match the execution at Lucknow in 1887 of a Private Flaxman. Such spectacles as an execution in front of the regiment, were probably used as the ultimate deterrent, to reinforce the strict discipline. You will naturally find lots of stuff about Kipling with a simple Google of the title, but this is a rather interesting piece about Bellamy’s adaption of his poems.

The buy links should now work properly. We had some problems with a duplicate track and everything needed to be updated, but I’ve just tested them and they are now OK!

You can buy the digital album now from the following stores:

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28 Responses to “Danny Deever”

A great poem and performance…………Kipling certainly had the eye to record “everyday” things that we normal folk would not consider important or would shy away from recording. When you learn “history” through this sort of song……it certainly sticks in the mind.
Oh dear………another one to try and learn!……yesssssssssss

I was hoping you were going to do this one! Stunning version at Birmingham in May with the Remnant Kings.
Is there any other sort of music where someone could take on a project like this? Maybe jazz but even that woud be quitedifferent, not a resource in the same way.

I’m with Muzza on this one… a great tale, well told in song. Kipling has fallen out of some popular favour from when I was a lass at school, and certainly from my parents day – rather unfairly, I think, as he understood and portrayed the ordinary soldier’s lot very well (as my father, who was in the 2nd World War, likewise educated me). It IS subtle and unusual. I’m glad you included this, Jon.

I agree with Jane Ramsden that this is the song with the greatest impact so far, and with Muzza that it’s a great way to learn History. I looked up the lyrics immediately and printed them out and sat with them in front of me listening to the song. I often teach poetry to young teenagers and it puts me in mind yet again of what a wonderful resource the Folk Ballad is.

I am all with Piers here I have only ever heard Jon ‘sing’ The Land as prep and as a sound check, never heard him finish it properly – one of my favourites. Regrettably almost all of Peter Bellamy’s Kipling stuff is now out of print and although there is a Yank woman who tries hard but somehow it needs an English (or Indian) voice to do it justice. More please Jon

The Land is in my repertoire, but I’m wary of recording it as part of my afolksongaday.com inspired repertoire project ‘cos I’m not sure of the copyright situation. Same goes for my favourite of Bellamy’s poetry settings – “The Old Songs”, which is a poem by Bob Copper, and another that I know to be in Jon’s repertoire.

@Mike Wild – the tune to this one is one of the tunes for Derwentwater’s Farewell. Check out Pete Morton’s version on the second Urban Folk album for one excellent rendition.

Hmm. That album appears to be rather hard to track down – you can apparently order it directly from Harbourtown, but I can’t seem to find anywhere you can listen to it first. They’re a quite brilliant pair of albums though. If you like Jon and John, you should love them.

@ Muzza: There are days I don’t want to remember I am 57, but BEAR in mind, running round after 10+ rescue cats surely reminds me. I am crackered! Not blown away? My charms must have faded… hahahahaha! Can’t fail to be blown away by some of the songs on here – timber shivering!

I do like Kipling’s poetry but this was was a sad one. What a terruble way to kill anyone by hanging (but there are no good ways of killing people). Jon has a lot of pathos in his voice with his rendition.

Ok……..I’ve jumped a day ahead yet again…but couldn’t resist Danny Deever…….
This is teaching ‘yer granny to suck eggs’ but there was an excellent programme on TV this week…all about Kipling. He returned to India, aged 16, to re join his parents after an unhappy schooling in England………..very much a misfit and unhealthy….more luck than judgement, he got a job on a military/colonial magazine.
He mixed with ‘common’ soldiers as compensation for his inability to join the army and ventured into the night time Indian community where few white folk dared to go.
His short stories, quite scandalous and only lightly veiled, reflected the racy goings on in the officer/diplomatic community.
Such opportunities when the hot season came and the ladies were dispatched to the cool hills amid many young officers, training and awaiting posting leaving their husbands behind to garrison the towns on the hot plains….oooer Matron.
He did the lot…drugs, sex, opium…………his poems are not flights of fancy……they are accurate reporting.